Meet the 22-year-old German triathlete who made IRONMAN racing a bit more special last year in a story about a tough debut, a harsh crash, and a sharp mindset.

by Volker Boch

It was the first IRONMAN 70.3 race of his life, and when that final Saturday in September arrived, Malte Schloemer was ready for it. Some of his friends from his local tri club wanted to race in Lanzarote, and the 22-year-old decided to sign up for the tough event, too.

After a 29:03 swim in the Lagoon of the famous Club La Santa, Schloemer exited the water in runner-up position in his age category (M 18-24). It looked like he was having a good debut race in Lanzarote until he headed into a roundabout around the 70-kilometer point of the bike course.

After the race, the German can't say exactly what happened after passing the gas station in Teguise on the way back to the transition zone. "Maybe I was going too fast into the roundabout and I hit the brakes too late," he said later. Regardless of how it happened, his back wheel slid out and he flew over the handlebars. Schloemer crashed at the side of the road and got up again quickly, but his front wheel was gone.

"I was looking for the wheel for about two minutes until I finally found it in the ditch on the other side of the road," he recalls. "I was having a good race, I felt great on the bike before I crashed," he adds.

After that point, a painful day unfolded. "I found myself running on the side of the road in my cycling shoes and my bike in one hand. I had a bloody shoulder and a bloody face, but I didn't feel any pain. I did not want to quit," the German says.

With 23 kilometers to go, Schloemer made the decision to walk his way down to the transition. Earlier this morning he had in his mind that this day would bring the first ever half-marathon of his life, now he is starting into a journey which would lead him to a tough, 44-kilometer long trip on his feet. "The crash was my own fault and I am thankful I had a good helmet," he says. "Many wanted to help me and fellow athletes shouted kind words after me when they passed me. Some even stopped to make sure I was alright. I shouted they could bring me a new bike."

But the 22-year-old knew the rules. He knew that it was on him to reach transition without accepting any support from others. He has his bike on his shoulders, and with his helmet and cycling shoes still on, he began to walk. "A local man came up to me twice and offered me his bike. It was a really nice gesture but I had to say no."

Schloemer walked 23 kilometers on a hot and windy day in Lanzarote to finish the bike course in 4:44:42 hours. "I didn't think that it might be an issue to run in my bike shoes, I just wanted to reach the transition zone," he said. Finally, he made it to T2—without being the last athlete out on the bike course. "I was happy to reach transition. I had blisters on my feet because of running in bike shoes," he said after the race.

The day had already hurt him a lot, but he still made the decision to bring it to the finish line—reporting that he felt relieved, despite some stomach problems.

Once on the run course, Schloemer didn't look back. "Despite the crash, quitting was never an option for me," he says. He stayed focused, and 2:10:33 hours later, Schloemer finished a day full of pain. "Every step was hard. My legs felt incredibly heavy on the final kilometers and the blisters made every step painful." He finished the race in 7:32:22 hours, one hour away from the cut-off. "I was very glad to get the medal. I think I deserved it," he said.

Even after such an ordeal, Schloemer still finished the day inspired. "If the bike can't be repaired I want to put it on my wall at home," he said right after the race. It was a debut IRONMAN 70.3 race he will never forget, and that can inspire all of us to keep pushing even when the task at hand seems impossible.